I love the warmth and color they bring to any abode, but remembering to water and care for them has never been my strong suit. I've tried terrariums, which tend to create their own self-sustaining ecosystems, but eventually even those wither up and die. Until recently, the only plants in my apartment were dried flowers. And if there were a way to kill those a second time, I'm sure I could figure it out.

So it's a big deal that I've decided to finally commit to — and, specifically, not kill — a few houseplants, including the one above. I wandered into the greenhouse with the same pitiful lack of confidence that I bring to the auto mechanic and asked the first lady I saw to direct me to the easiest plants they offer.

Et voila! Snake plants.

Native to West Africa, these hearty plants require little sunlight but can tolerate a lot of it, and they only need to be watered every week and a half. The lady at the greenhouse told me they can go up to two weeks without water, so there's no need to get a plant-sitter during long vacations.

My keep-alive strategy so far involves setting an alert on my phone reminding me to water the plants, and turning them around every so often to give the other side some light. The greenhouse lady mentioned fertilizer at some point, but I don't think I'm there yet.

It's been about three weeks, and so far, no deaths! Let me know if you have any tips for a plant beginner — my snakes will thank you.

For as much as I sing the praises of an understated, minimalist wardrobe, I'm still a sucker for a bold vintage dress. I found this gem during a sad, final visit to Red Light Capitol Hill, my favorite Seattle vintage store, days before it closed for good. Bittersweet.

In an attempt to modernize my '80s-era look, I threw on a smattering of delicate geometric jewelry — in particular this silver- and copper-plated half-circle bracelet from Brooklyn designer Sayaka Davis. I love the way it fastens around my wrist with three delicate chains.

My basic-as-can-be black heels are from Zara, and my 3.1 Phillip Lim mini Pashli bag is from Nordstrom. Speaking of which, this bag has gotten me some serious mileage! I've owned it for more than two years now, and it's still going strong. I am, however, one of those weirdos who refuses to unzip the expanding sides. I dunno, something about it just feels unsettling. Anyway, every so often I have to remind myself that hey! This investment piece paid off — feel good about it!

My skin burns easily and is prone to fine lines, so it's super important that I wear sunscreen every day, even in a low-sun city like Seattle. In researching the best daily sunscreens, I discovered that the majority of UV blockers are riddled with crazy chemicals, many of which may mess with your hormones and have been potentially linked to breast cancer, infertility and premature puberty in girls.

Seems like something to avoid, no?

So I refocused my search onto natural sunscreens that use zinc oxide, a regular ol' rock that, when ground down to a fine powder and spread on your skin in a cream formula, creates a fine, transparent barrier against the sun's rays. This is the same white stuff you've seen on lifeguards' noses in old photos, except today's versions blend right into the skin — for the most part. That's where the current offering differs.

I asked my dermatologist for some zinc suncreen samples, and of all the kinds she gave me, only a few rubbed into my skin without leaving white streaks or flaky bits around my hairline. And of those few, only one didn't make my ultra-sensitive skin break out.

The winner? Vanicream Sunscreen Sport Broad Spectrum SPF 35. This stuff is so gentle on my skin. I can use it every day without worrying that it'll clog my pores or cause irritation. It blends in quickly and moisturizes my skin at the same time, so I don't technically have to double up on moisturizer AND sunscreen (though I still do, because my skin is crazy dry). And so far, no burns!

At $13 a pop, one bottle lasts a surprisingly long time. I bought my current one almost five months ago and it still has about a third left.

I'm undecided about what to do when this summer when I'm hanging out and swimming in a bikini. It takes an epic amount of sunscreen to repeatedly cover my whole body throughout the day, so I may have to find a bigger bottle from another brand. But for a daily, natural facial sunscreen, Vanicream is the way to go.